Title: Useless Magic
Writer: Florence Welch
Publishing House: Fig Tree
Date of Publication: July 5th 2018
Rating: 5 stars
I mean, look at the endpapers!
‘’Songs can be incredibly prophetic, like subconscious warnings or messages to myself, but I often don’t know what I’m trying to say till years later. Or a prediction comes true and I couldn’t do anything to stop it, so it seems like a kind of useless magic.’’
Florence Welch
Important information: My mother has been successfully initiated to Florence coven. Mission accomplished.
Who wouldn’t fall in love with this outstanding book? A sublime piece of Art by a unique artist. Florence Welch is like an elf, a witch, a fairy, an Ophelia straight out of the paintings of Pre-Raphaelite artists. A song-writer and poet, inspired by mythology, Art, Literature. By life itself. So, let us leave the word to her…
There’s a ghost in my mouth
And it talks in my sleep
Wraps itself around my tongue
As it softly speaks
Then it walks, then it walks
Then it walks with my legs
(“I’m Not Calling You a Liar’’)
Now there’s no holding back, I’m ready to attack
My blood is singing with your voice, I want to pour it out.
The saints can’t help me now, the ropes have been unbound
I hunt for you with bloodied feet across the hallowed ground
(“Howl”)
And oh, poor Atlas
The world’s a beast of a burden
You’ve been holding up a long time
And all this longing
And the ships are left to rust
That’s what the water gave us
(‘’What the Water Gave Me’’)
And now all your love will be exorcized
And we will find new saints to be canonized
It’s an evensong
It’s a litany
It’s a battle cry
It’s a symphony
(“Seven Devils”)
Oh the queen of peace
Always does her best to please
It isn’t any use
Somebody’s got to lose
Like a long scream
Out there always echoing
Oh what is it worth
When all that’s left is hurt
(“Queen of Peace”)
I’m worried we are entering an age of rage
Where only anger will be considered an asset
And the gentle will be mocked, then eaten.
Those with soft voices will have their tongues cut out,
As punishment for not using them the right way.
Don’t you know your words are weapons,
Kindness is obsolete,
As obsolete as handwriting,
As obsolete as silence and darkness in a city.
(“Rage”)
Now, if this poem isn’t the truest mirror reflecting our screaming society and the mob of the Twitter rebels, hiding behind a screen and dreaming revolutions while sitting comfortably on their sofas, eating pizza, I don’t know what is…
‘’I don’t know what makes a song a song and a poem a poem: they have started to bleed into each other at this stage,
You can have everything.’’
She is one of my favourite musicians of all times! I loved your line about successfully initiating your mum to Florence coven. Sublime sums it up.
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Τhank you so much, Toni! Florence is the very definition of the ‘Artist”. She is perfect!
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I’m so glad you loved this! Florence is fabulous, and this is one of the most aesthetically pleasing books I’ve ever owned!
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I adored it, Callum! She is perfection, I can’t wait to see her live in Athens in September.😍😍
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Ooh, how exciting! I hope you have a great time! Have you seen her live before? I’ve been lucky enough to see her twice in Glasgow, and she puts on an incredible show 🙂
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Thank you so much, dearest! No, I haven’t seen her live before and I can hardly wait. She chose the Odeon of Herod Atticus for her concert, it will be a magical night…
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That sounds like the ideal setting for her 👌🏼 I’m sure it will be a night to remember!
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Definitely!!
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